When It’s Not Getting Better: Escalate Without Anxiety

Performance management escalation: how to handle underperforming employees calmly and confidently Unique 3-step framework to spot early warning signs of poor performance and escalate at work without anxiety Leave with a simple script for manager difficult conversations that protects psychological safety and drives clear employee accountability

What You'll Learn:

• How to recognize early warning signs of poor performance (like recurring missed micro-commitments) before they become a team-wide problem
• A simple, repeatable escalation script (Describe impact ➜ Ask for perspective ➜ Agree on next checkpoint) you can use in any performance improvement conversation
• Ways to maintain psychological safety at work while still holding low performers to clear expectations and standards
• How to distinguish between a one-off slip and a true performance pattern that requires structured escalation
• Specific phrasing you can use to talk about impact and expectations without triggering defensiveness or fear
• How to document agreements and checkpoints so both you and the employee know what “better” actually looks like
• A quick reflection routine: write down key insights, pick one real situation, and choose a single small action to apply this week
• How to reduce your own anxiety as a manager by using data, clarity, and short feedback loops instead of waiting and hoping it improves